Is Swede (Rutabaga) Acidic or Alkaline?
Swede (rutabaga) (fresh) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
At −5.0, rutabaga is clearly alkaline, because the thick root stores a lot of potassium and contains hardly any protein. For a long time it was seen as a famine vegetable. Today it's back on the table in stews, as a mash or roasted. At 22 kcal per 100 g it's light, and a 200 g serving of mashed rutabaga adds about −10.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, swede (rutabaga) (fresh) ranks #33 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Spinach (−5.0), Chili pepper, red (−5.0), Celery stalk (−5.2). More acid-forming are Parsnip (−4.9), Brussels sprouts (−4.8), Radicchio (−4.8).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swede (rutabaga) acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Swede (rutabaga) (fresh) has a PRAL of −5.0 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much swede (rutabaga) do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving (150 g) of swede (rutabaga) adds −7.4 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of swede (rutabaga) roughly offsets one of them.
Why is swede (rutabaga) alkaline even though it is not a typical alkaline food?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Swede (rutabaga) provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−5.0).
Swede (Rutabaga) logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Vegetables & Salad: Vegetables & Salad table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.